Ristorante Bigoli: Big Food, Small Budget

The title may sound wrong (grammatically) or weird, but it's the reality! For years, Ristorante Bigoli (formerly Fazoli's) in Eastwood has been saving my date and I from suffering with empty stomachs whenever we're on a tight budget.

Just recently renovated, the old and gloomy facade of Fazoli's was already upgraded to the bright and inviting storefront of the new Ristorante Bigoli. Same menu, same good service, but with a different name and a new management.

Ristorante Bigoli is a fast-food restaurant specializing in pasta, pizza and other Italian goodies. And whenever our Italian cravings are kicking in but we're on a limited budget, Bigoli is our top-of-mind choice.

Although food items here are surprisingly very affordable, comfort is not at all sacrificed. Ristorante Bigoli may not have age-old furniture and antique accent pieces, but they have a well-lit dining area designed to give off a cozy yet modern vibe. Kinda like an Italian version of an American diner.

For the years we have been dining at Ristorante Bigoli, we have already tried a wide assortment from their pasta and pizza offerings. However for our latest trip, we ordered for an old favorite and a new pasta dish to sample.

Both my date and I love Bigoli's Italian Chicken (P215 for 4pcs.). We were also really hungry that afternoon, so we decided to pair it with an order each of their Italian Rice (P25).

Ristorante Bigoli's Italian Chicken is breaded, glazed with special tomato and natural honey sauce, and topped with herbs and spices. Its meat is moist and tender, cooked just right, and packed with sweet, salty and a slightly tangy flavor. It's one of Bigoli's food items that makes us come back again and again.

These tasty chicken pieces are also very filling when eaten with their Italian Rice -- a slightly herbed white rice, cooked to perfection. (At least for me.) It was not too hard, nor too mushy.

Although we consider ourselves regulars at Bigoli, we still haven't tried all of their pasta selection. So even when we ordered for a rice meal, we didn't mind the added carbs and still ordered for a plate of Aglio Olio (P120).

This pasta dish is satisfying, though it could use some more seasoning. The garlic flavor is there, but we'd like it better if it was a little stronger. (Yes, we're garlic lovers!) Props to the restaurant though for cooking the pasta al dente.

Along with the pasta order is a piece of bread stick which is what Ristorante Bigoli is known for. Free bread sticks!

Even when we haven't touched the bread stick from our pasta plate yet, servers were already kind and generous enough to give us more bread sticks. These bread sticks were okay, could use more garlic flavoring, but meh! It's free, so I shouldn't complain.

After a satisfying lunch, portion-wise and taste-wise, I took a shot of their very chic ceiling lamp which looks lovely!

I don't know where to insert this photo, so pardon this random ceiling lamp shot.
I find it pretty so I needed to include this.

THE VERDICT

Ristorante Bigoli will continue to be one of the fast-food restaurants we'll visit again and again. For an order-at-the-counter food spot, they definitely provide fast, effective and courteous service. Their food are very affordable while giving good value for their diners' money with the generous portions and average-to-good overall taste.

They may not be one of the best Italian restaurants around, but for the price and the quality of the food and service, it's definitely worth a trip!

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 3/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 5/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Ristorante Bigoli, Eastwood
Center Plaza, Eastwood City, Libis
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 421-0416